Kindness & Positivity At School

Helping Kids Decide

Bystander: a person who observes a conflict or unacceptable behavior and knows that the behavior is destructive or likely to make a bad situation worse but does nothing about it.

Upstander: a person who chooses to take positive action in situations where individuals need assistance. Upstanders do not spread negativity, even if it is in defense of others.

CNN Article About Tackling Cyberbullying

"We really need to teach kids standing up to bullying doesn't mean you go flood the wall of the bully with hate. It means you flood the wall of the target with support...Give that person the attention that they need and shut down the attention that's going to the aggressor." - Author Carrie Goldman

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School Culture

#ICANHELP grows positive school culture by developing digital leaders. #ICANHELP shows students how to develop their own capacity to make positive change online and encourages them to act on it. This transforms students and their schools, creating a more positive culture and climate online and offline.

Willis Jepson Middle School and Vaca Pena Middle School both host #iCANHELP assemblies for students

Leader in Me teaches 21st century leadership and life skills to students and creates a culture of kindness and student empowerment based on the idea that every child can be a leader. LIM touches on

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a system founded in the philosophy that rather than telling students what not to do, the school will focus on the positive behaviors. Be Safe, Be Responsible, Be Respectful.

Edwin Markham Elementary, Vaca Pena Middle School and Will C Wood High School are PBIS schools

The DUDE. be nice project is a platform to inspire people to build a positive community by recognizing a person or group in a fun, creative and meaningful way.

Will C Wood High School hosts Dude.Be Nice events and projects.

Breaking Down the Walls is a comprehensive program designed to unify, empower, and engage every student to create a positive and supportive campus climate. Students learn to interact with a cross-section of their peers, and find that they do not live in isolation, rather, within a community that depends on each of its members to thrive. Students work side by side, learn from one another, and become active participants in the positive development of their campus. Vacaville High School hosts Breaking Down the walls projects and events.

“At the end of the day, it probably doesn’t matter as much if we are the best athlete or the smartest person in the class. But, if we are a little kinder to people around us then that’s really what ends up mattering.”- VUSD Board President Michael Kitzes